I know ... this will sound dorky

Not knowing anything about the payload of a P4, I am wondering, if a collision "cage" were to be fabricated around a drone, perhaps made out of chicken wire or some other lightweight but stiff material, could the drone still fly, or would the wire cage create a faraday enclosure that would interfere with radio communication?  What if the saucer shaped cage which protected the drone on all sides, top and bottom was made out of a stiff plastic, or fiberglass?  Carbon fiber?  Think of the wire frame that surrounds a floor fan.  I know ... it would be too heavy, but what if it were made much lighter, with less wire?



I am just wondering about options for flying through heavy foilage or trees, or places where a cage would benefit the drone by preventing a collision of the props or the camera or landing gear, such as while flying through a huge flock of birds.

http://youtu.be/Dd2iiVBtj4w


Joe



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Yes, it would act like a faraday cage and severely interfere with radio transmission/reception. It will also totally wreck the aerodynamics of the aircraft. It will get in the way of your shots, and it will weigh too much for the aircraft.

In short, it is not a good idea. If you are concerned about trees, stay away from them, that's what everyone else does. As for birds, stay away from them too.

I second Geebax's answer.

Perhaps a light plastic structure protecting just the prot.. like a prop guard, but enclosing the prop from top and bottom as well? A plastic mesh? Yes, there still would be a tradeoff for performance with the weight, airflow, aerodynamic characteristics.. but could be interesting for the case of safety in objects proximity?

Work on your piloting skills and forget about cages and stuff

Put it all away in the box.
No ptoblems at all then{:4_181:}

Just turn on the deflector shields.  Whats the big deal?

I've often thought about a cage around a drone, would make it very safe to fly around people. I've been planning a new sport where the ball flys around, it's called Drone Ball, but don't tell anyone yet